Saga of Zane: Conquering Hoenn
by xMikalax
Summary: Being the son of Gym Leader Flannery, Zane was born for the life of a Pokemon trainer. Finally, at 15, his dreams are coming true. Join Zane on his journey through Hoenn to catch Pokemon, battle rivals, collect gym badges, and become the best of the best. **NOT WRITTEN BY ME! CREDIT GOES TO ARTIE ROSS / COUNT BLAZIKEN III ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE "KORRA THE POKE MASTER"!**
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! I am SO SO SO SO SORRY that I haven't posted in awhile! I have a buttload of things on my flashdrive to edit and upload soon, so stay tuned! :)**

**_***THIS STORY IS NOT MINE!***_**

**Plot line, main character, and rivals are credited to Artie Ross, or Count Blaziken III on the Facebook page "Korra, The Poke Master". He has given me permission to post it on here, so don't think I'm creative enough to think of this stuff! Most things are decided by fan choice on the Facebook Page I mentioned above. If you wanna drop by and read from there, that's fine, because it might take me a few hours to get everything updated if I'm sleeping.**

**Thanks everyone!**

**~Mik Mik**

* * *

Main Character: Zane  
Region: Hoenn

Zane woke up lazily at 6:13 on a Friday Morning. The sun was laying sleepily on the horizon, reluctantly waking from a night of slumber. The clouds caught every ray of light, bathing the sky in beautiful shades of red, pink and orange.

Zane loved Lavaridge Town. It was warm, had a community hot tub, and it was peaceful. Ever since May and Brandon defeated Team Magma, there was no trouble.

Zane was an average 15 year old boy with brown hair and a passion for Pokémon. He had battled plenty of times before to help his mother train for battling trainers at the Gym and she had kept him around five years just to beat easier competitors that she had no time for. In a way, he was a Gym Leader at age 12.

He had moved to Lavaridge when when he was 6 years old because his mother, Flannery, was offered a position as Gym Leader. He moved from the Johto region, where his mother formerly worked as a Sales Promotion Executive at the Bicycle Shop. They lived a good life there, but with this job, they'd be living like royalty.

Zane got up, walking to his dresser and grabbing a pair of white jeans and slipping them over his boxers. He reached into another drawer and picked out a black shirt with small designs making a white V across the chest. He reached onto the top of the drawer and grabbed a sealed packet of white fingerless gloves. He opened them and put them on, smiling in anticipation.

This was his big day. As he snuck out of his room, he grabbed a backpack from the chair at his desk. He would leave it all behind today, he thought as he picked up a farm fresh plum from the fridge. He would leave it and fulfill his lifelong dream of being a Pokémon trainer. Sure it was dangerous, but he had dreamed about it ever since his dad left on his journey the second time.

Zane's father had been a hotshot trainer when he first started his journey. But something happened- an incident he would refer to simply as "The Accident"- and he stopped and forbade Zane from training when he was 10. He settled down for 17 years with his Pokémon, leaving all but one in his PC: an Absol named Reaper. But he left after getting some important call when Zane was 9.

It wasn't until two days ago that he called and said Zane could become a trainer and start his own journey. And Zane planned to make the best of it.

Zane opened the door of the house and smelled the air, not even sneezing because of the ash. He was used to it by now. Only one thing was standing in his way now: his trip to Lanette's house, where he had his starter Pokémon air shipped in by one of Professor Birch's Aides. He took a step and his journey began.

* * *

**So, how'd you guys like it? I'll update it from Facebook as frequently as I can.**

**So long, folks!**

**~Mik Mik**


	2. Chapter 2

**Since Artie has his own notes at the beginning and end of his posts on Facebook, I'll just put those instead of mine :) ~ Mik Mik**

**The second installment of Pokémon Quest is out! Hope you guys like it! -Count Blaziken III**

* * *

Zane hurried past his friend, Katarina's house to Lanette's Lab and inched through a crevice between the rock wall and onto the path that led to to the Lab to avoid the tall grass. The Pokémon here were strong, but he made sure his Pokémon would be too. He had picked a Torchic from a breeder in Dewford Town that would be trained at Mt. Pyre.

As soon as Zane got near the Lab, he knew something was wrong. He could hear papers fluttering, glass shattering, and bookshelves falling. He heard Lanette screech once, even. But then he heard something terrifying.

Silence.

Zane jumped through a broken window, throwing himself into the floor an sliding to Lanette's unconscious body. Near him was a black man with a red scarf and a yellow shirt. Really he was no more than a teenager, two inches shorter than Zane at 6'2".

"She's not dead," the boy said with a voice deep and rough. It sounded like sandpaper being dragged across a piece of wood, but with a much darker tone. He put a cap on that was laying on a table.

"Who are you?" Zane demanded, taking the Pokéball from Lanette's bag. He knew it was his, as it had a label reading "Zane's Torchic" on the red part above the release button.

"My name is Dallas," he replied calmly. "This woman has my starter and said she would give it to me much earlier in the week." He tossed the Pokéball into the air before catching it again and again. "She didn't."

Zane looked at Dallas with a cold glance. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! If I win, you give Lanette back the Pokémon you have. And if not, then I'll let you go without telling the cops."

"Well then, boy." Dallas tossed the Pokéball in the air once more and then caught it over handed, slamming it to the ground. "Prepare to lose."

"Kip!" Dallas's Pokémon was a Mudkip. Zane groaned. He was already off to a bad start.

"Torchic, use peck!" Zane cried as he threw his Pokéball into the air. As Torchic appeared in midair, Zane felt a cold shiver down his back. This was his first real battle and it would determine whether or not a guilty man was set free.

* * *

**Okay that's a bad cliffhanger, but I have to go now. Absol will be coming soon, and there are no decisions to make. So thanks for reading this! I'll try and post another bit tonight: the battle. But no promises. ;)**

**-Count Blaziken III**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright! 2 installments in one day! Here's the first battle with Torchic and Mudkip. Hope you enjoy!**

** -Count Blaziken III**

* * *

Torchic fell through the air, aiming her beak at Mudkip, who seemed to be bracing itself. The water-type Pokémon then shot itself backwards with a water gun, leaving Torchic standing alone.

"Alright, Kippy-boy!" Dallas called out. "Water Gun attack!"

"Muuuuud..." Mudkip started to cry out as he built up pressure in his water reserve pouches. "Kip!" A jet of water flew through the air, creating a mist around the tables and bookshelves.

"Torchic," Zane cried, "Dodge and use Scratch! You can beat him if you try!"

"Chic!" Torchic chirped, hopping away from the quick water attack, after which she scratched the Mudkip and yipped, "Tor!" But Dallas must have seen it coming, becayse he grinned and, with a whisper that sounded like it froze the air, ordered a command.

"Aqua Jet."

Mudkip engulfed himself in a ball of water, swirling it around him like some sort of ancient magic. He then launched himself forward, propelling himself at a speed that was shocking for such a place as this. Zane knew if Torchic dodged in time, she would be able to take him with a Peck attack.

But it was too late. The Aqua Jet's velocity carried Mudkip through the air before Zane could even make an order. Torchic fell on the ground.

"Tor... chic!" She grunted as she tried to pick herself up. She threw out a weak ember attack, then let her head down. "Chic... Chic..."

"Torchic, it's okay," Zand whispered to her, petting her head. "This was your first battle! You'll do great next time-"

"Chic!" Torchic cried jumping up again, high over the tables and bookshelves. She flew over Mudkip and used a powerful Peck attack.

"Kip!" Mudkip mumbled as he fell to the ground. Straining, he lifted himself up, but fell again, this time unconscious.

"Good job, Torchic!" Zane began to cheer with glee. "You did great! That was a great strategy, playing knocked out."

"Ouch!" Dallas muttered suddenly far away. He shook his hand, strewing blood everywhere. He had cut himself on the glass. And he had taken Mudkip.

But the most concerning thing was the Pokéball in his left hand. He shrunk it and put it on his belt. It was different shades of purpley gray with ridges along the edges in twisted columns.

It was a Dark Ball.

Dallas got away with the Dark Ball and Mudkip, running into the mountains to avoid being followed by the LPD (Lavaridge Police Dpt.) and was not seen in that area again for a long time.

Zane swore on that day to find the Mudkip that Dallas had stolen from Lanette. He would get the Mudkip, and, if possible, the Dark Ball. He laughed to himself and muttered, "I guess THIS is where my journey begins."

* * *

**Well there's the installment! Thanks for reading! I love you guys, and thanks for taking the time to read this! Lessthanthree!**

**-Count Blaziken III**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pokémon Quest installment 4 is out! I'll post five really soon to, but if I keep blabbing I think there's a character limit that will cut me off. Enjoy!**

* * *

Zane knew that Dallas would be long gone by now. He would wait for the police to show up and tell them story that he had. In the time it took for them to get there, Lanette woke up to verify.

After all of that was over, Zane used a Potion on Torchic and sat on a rock near Lanette's house near a patch of tall grass. He looked at Torchic, trying to think of a name fitting for her.

"What to name you?" Zane wondered. He stroked Torchic's head, petting her gently.

"Tor," Torchic chirped. She nuzzled Zane's chest, cooing to him. "Chic!"

"Hm..." Zane continued. "What can we-"

He stopped as he saw a particular Pokémon that caught his eye. It moved quickly, diving in and out of patches of higher grass. It was obviously a predatory Pokémon, from the way it moved. It had a sleek body, mostly white with a gray face, tail, and feet. He recognized this Pokémon as an Absol.

And he was going to catch it.

Zane picked up Torchic and put her on his head. He jumped off the rock, holding onto his companion and landed on his feet, bending his knees to take the shock better. Then he walked near the patch of grass he saw it in last.

A patch of grass behind Zane rustled, seemingly just shaken by a breeze. But he knew better. Zane knew that there was no way that was wind. Zane hit the ground just in time for an Absol to soar over his head.

"Torchic, use Ember!" Zane called, getting up.

"Torch!" The fire type sang, small tongues of flame shooting at the Disaster Pokémon. Absol slashed at the flames with his scythe-like horn. The flames disintegrated, sending sparks of fire left and right, above and below, every direction of Absol.

This Pokémon was quick.

"Sol!" Absol cried as she slashed at Torchic. Her speed was neckbreaking.

Torchic flipped, jumping over the horn with a hair's width to spare. Torchic landed on her feet an shot off an Ember attack. Each flame swirled around another, making an attack almost like a Fire Spin.

Absol leapt away from the barrage of fire, avoiding the scorching blasts. A small blaze seared across her foot though, and she shuddered in midair. As she landed, she fell, due to her now burned foot. A small crunching sound resonated in the air.

"Absol!" Zane gasped. He ran to the injured Pokémon, returning Torchic to her Pokéball as he ran.

"Sol!" The Pokémon growled as Zane neared her. She bared her teeth and snarled.

"Absol," Zane whispered, now close enough to touch the white Pokémon. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Absol gnashed her teeth at the boy savagely. The pain from the broken ankle was impairing her abilities to think. She had gone ballistic.

Zane took a deep breath. He knew what he needed to do. He quickly ran up to Absol and picked her in his stride.

Absol bit and slashed at Zane as he ran. She clawed him endlessly, carving several gashes into his chest and arms. His shirt was now torn and ragged, and he still had about 300 meters left to travel.

* * *

**Part 5 soon to follow.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Pokémon Quest installment 5 (Or really 4 part 2) is out!**  
**Thanks for reading this Guys, it really does mean a lot.**

* * *

200 meters later and many more wounds later, he ran into the Lavaridge Town Limits. The Pokémon Center was easily visible from the distance he was at now, and he was now racing against his aching body; due to sprinting hundreds of meters and being hacked at all the way. Absol was finally starting to slip into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness, and she could tell only where she was if she strained herself.

Zane barged into the Pokémon Center, calling for Nurse Joy as he ran into the medical rooms. He was aware of her yelling that he couldn't be in there. But he didn't care.

Absol was put into a daisy chamber and rested there overnight. Zane told his mother everything including the break-in and also that he would stay with Absol until she was better.

Absol tossed and turned all throughout the night, and Zane got some serious medical attention. In total he had 314 cuts and bruises and needed almost 850 stitches. The doctors said he had lost over 3 pints of blood.

"It's a wonder you're still even alive, Zane," the doctor started. "Most people that run into a wild Pokémon that's hunting them get killed before they can even see it. You carried one out of the hands of death."

"I couldn't let her lay there, Doc," Zane replied, deep in thought. "She may have tried to kill me, but I couldn't have just let her die..."

"Well I bet she'll be happy to know that when she's all better. The Daisy Chamber should do it's work overnight; it's been known to regrow limbs in days!"

"Thanks, Doctor," Zane replied before kneeling by Absol's Daisy Chamber again. He stayed there all night watching the ankle heal. He sat and waited for the sun to rise.

* * *

**Well that's the last piece for today probably. Thanks SO much for reading this, guys. Leaving a like or a comment is a great way to show how many people I reached, and I really do appreciate each interaction with you guys. That's what makes the story fun.**

**TTFN,**  
**-Count Blaziken III**


	6. Chapter 6

**Pokémon Quest installment 6 is out!**  
**This one isn't very action filled but we meet Katarina in this one! Enjoy!**

* * *

Zane checked out of the Pokécenter the next morning. Absol's ankle had been healed and Zane's cuts had closed up into scars. There was nothing that the Human Daisy Chambers could do to close cuts without some sort of scarring.

"Absol," Zane called from the desk, turning his head over his shoulder. "Here girl!"

"Sol!" Absol grunted as she walked over. She seemed to favor one of her feet, as she didn't understand that her broken ankle had been healed. She seemed to take notice soon, however, since she began walking closer to normal with each step.

"Absol," Zane said, after signing several forms. He kneeled and turned to his newest friend. "I haven't caught you, so I'll be returning you to the wild soon. It's not that I don't want you it's that-"

Absol simply licked Zane's face. She looked at Zane with a look that said, "shut up, Zane." Then she nuzzled his arm.

"Alright," Zane laughed, "let's see if I can scrounge up a Pokéball at the Pokémart here."

Absol followed Zane into the Pokémart, and began to look around at all of the merchandise. They looked shiny; appealing to her eye like a brand new sports car to a young man. She walked over to the shelves and looked.

Needless to say, a few customers were nervous. A Pokémon that was said to cause disaster everywhere it went was in a normal civilian store. What was going to happen?

Zane walked up to the front desk. A man sat there reading a magazine about new and upcoming trainers. Zane decided he would know. "Hey, do you have any Pokéballs?"

"Aisle 7," the man said without looking up from the magazine.

"So much for customer service," Zane muttered as he walked away. He looked for Aisle 7 and finally found the Pokéball section. They had Pokéballs, Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and some other less mainstream types of Pokéballs.

Zane picked up two 5packs of Pokéballs and placed them on the counter quietly. He cleared his throat, getting a grunt out of the clerk.

"Listen, mister," Zane huffed at the clerk. "If you aren't gonna pay any attention, I can take my business elsewhere."

"'S long as I get paid, sonny," the clerk said glancing up from his magazine, "I don't really give one damn."

"Is something wrong?" A voice called out from the back. Zane recognized it as a voice he'd grown up with.

"Yeah, Kat. This guy isn't being very respectful of his customers," Zane told Katarina as she came out of the break room.

"Do I have to fire somebody?" Katarina asked, pointing to a manager pin on her vest.

"No ma'am..." The clerk muttered ringing Zane's purchase up and giving him a Premier Ball.

The two walked out together and began to talk.

* * *

**Okay, now he has Pokéballs. So he can catch his Absol, (which won't be too much work) and a few more Pokémon. Thanks for reading!**

**-Count Blaziken III**


	7. Chapter 7

**Pokemon Quest installment 7 is out!**  
**This is a long one. A new character will soon be introduced! Now sit back, grab a lemonade, and enjoy the reading.**

* * *

"So you got a Torchic, huh?" Katarina asked him, petting his companion softly. "That's pretty cool."

"That's right," Zane said, holding up a Pokeball. "And an Absol." He had already caught Absol with no resistance at all coming from either party, but she seemed to prefer walking around than staying in her Pokeball.

"Cool!" Katarina cheered. "Have you thought about nicknaming them?"

"Oh, Arceus, not this again," Zane groaned. Katarina was a fanatic about nicknames. Every Pokemon her brother, Rick, had ever caught, she had nicknamed.

"Yes!" Katarina whispered in a state of bliss. "Nicknames make each Pokemon feel special! You have to!"

"Well, I thought about naming Absol 'Sol,' but-"

"Zane O'Harris!" Katarina shouted slapping him several times. "That is so unoriginal!"

"Shut up, Kat!" Zane laughed as he blocked her blows. "I like it, and that's all that matters!"

"What if Absol doesn't like it?" Katarina said with a fire slowly becoming extinguished from the initial reaction of the name.

"She loves it!" Zane laughed, then looked at Absol. "Right, Sol?"

"Sol," she said, nodding. Sol was very intelligent, and usually could actually hold a conversation if she could find a way to communicate back. She liked using alphabet blocks to express thoughts.

"See, Kat?" Zane asked, looking her in the eyes with triumph. "And it's better than naming a Solrock 'Luna.'"

"Shut up!" She screamed, hitting Zane every time she spoke a syllable. "I was half asleep! And I couldn't tell!" She stopped hitting him. "Plus it's better than staying in torn up clothes for 18 hours. We need to get you some new clothes."

"I know..." Zane muttered. "I don't really think any of my clothes are durable enough to have a journey with."

"Well let's go shopping!" Katarina yipped with glee. "It'll be so fun! I can tell you some good stories on the way!"

"Oh no," Zane muttered as he was being dragged away by Katarina. "Shopping... With a girl..."

* * *

**Alrighty folks, there's the story. **

**Thank you so much for reading this. It really makes my day.**

**-Count Blaziken III**


	8. Chapter 8

**Pokemon Quest installment 8 is out!**

**In this installment, we get to know Katarina a little bit, and I'm starting to really like her as she develops. Eventually I might post her character notes so you can see where she's headed. But for now, kick back, relax, and enjoy the installment.**

* * *

Katarina picked up a red shirt with a black fiery decal on it. "Try this on, Zane, I think it'll make you look... hot." She chuckled at her pun as she passed it to him.

"You need to stop with these puns, Kat," Zane groaned, shaking his head. "You can't make puns worth anything."

"You know you think it's funny," Kat said over her shoulder. She walked toward a different part of the men's section in "Searing Sportswear," Lavaridge's biggest clothing outfit. It had shoes, pants, shirts, backpacks, shorts; it had a larger selection of items than most clothing stores in the western Hoenn Region.

"Whatever," Zane muttered as he looked down at the shirt. It was nice, but he didn't know if it was his style. He figured he would at least try it on.

After pulling it over his head, he went out of the dressing rooms and found a mirror. It fit well, was comfortable, and made him moderately warm. He worried about Lavaridge's temperatures, But then saw a tag that claimed that the shirt stayed warm in cool areas and cooled down in hotter areas.

He liked it.

As he was checking himself out, a pair of black jeans were thrown at his head. They smacked his neck. It caught him off guard and he whipped around.

Katarina was laughing uncontrollably. "The look on your face!" She cackled in between breaths and giggles. "It was priceless!"

"Listen Kat," Zane asserted. "This is getting kind of annoying."

Kat instantly stopped. Zane didn't get mad often, and he was really harsh when he was. "What's wrong, Zane?"

"I dunno," he replied, "but I feel like I should be chasing Dallas, hunting him down. Getting badges and training Pokemon. Not sitting here spending three hours deciding on clothes."

"Zane," Katarina sighed, "we'll catch him. But you can't go on a journey in clothes that look like that. Those look like they're about to fall of of your body."

Zane looked down at his tattered garb, and slowly nodded. "I do look like crap..." He grabbed the pants and held them in his left hand, swinging them over his shoulder. "Alright. I guess I can take this for a little bit longer."

"I got you a new bag, too," Katarina told him, tossing it to him. "You put it on over your waist and you tighten the clip thing in the back."

"Thanks," Zane said as he caught it. He walked toward the dressing rooms and entered a stall. The door was shut, and he began to disrobe.

Katarina sat outside the entrance to the dressing rooms. She called her mother and told her that once she got her Treecko today, she would be heading off on a journey with Zane. After explaining why she needed to help Zane, her mom reluctantly agreed.

"I just wish you could stay here," Kat's mother murmured.

"I know mom," Katarina chuckled. She turned at the sound of an opening door. Zane had finished changing into his new outfit, and he looked pretty good.

"If anything happens between you two, you call me!" The woman told her daughter.

"Mom, I'm sure we'll stay friends," Katarina said, smiling at Zane. She mouthed, "she's talking about you," and he nodded.

"I'm sure you know that's not what I mean," her mother said. "Wink wink!"

"Mother!" She shouted into the receiver. She was starting to blush and she turned away so Zane wouldn't see.

"He would be a good son-in-"

Katarina hung up and threw her phone into her pocket. "C'mon Zane. Let's go."

* * *

**Well, there's Chapter 8! Hope you enjoyed it! I'll make the chapter more of a flashback.**  
**Thank you all SO much for reading. It really does mean a lot to me; so much, that I can't even express it. I love you all so much.**  
**Count Blaziken III**


	9. Chapter 9

**Pokemon Quest Installment 9 is out.**

**As you can see, that did not end with an exclamation point. This is because *I fucked something up.* For those of you that have been wondering why Zane traveled all the way to Lanette's house for a starter and didn't have her delivered, there is a reason. I mixed up Fallabor and Lavaridge town on the map. D:**

**Don't worry, I won't rage quit the story. But now, I**** think that Zane and Katarina are going to have a journey climbing Mount Chimney and going down the other side to get to Fallabor.**

**OR...**

**We could redesign the Hoenn Map? No, what am I thinking. They'll just have to climb Mt. Chimney. A bunch. So here's the story.**

* * *

Katarina walked up to the western edges of Lavaridge town with Zane behind her. She looked up at Mount Chimney, the massive mountain separating her from a starter. This was the most direct way, and she hated detours. Never mind that it was considered unscalable. She wanted a Treecko soon, so she would get one soon.

Zane usually walked all the way around the mountain to reach Fallabor Town, creeping along the edges of tall grass the first time to avoid being attacked. The second time, he just ran. The wild Pokemon saw the desperation in his eyes and they let him pass. He couldn't try to climb Mt. Chimney with an injured Pokemon in his arms.

"Are you sure we can do this, Kat?" Zane asked his companion. "People say it's unscalable. And Sol still doesn't feel confident walking."

"Then keep her in the Pokeball!" Kat groaned in exasperation. "She doesn't HAVE to walk with you."

"But she doesn't like it!" Zane cried.

"Well that's too bad, because we're climbing it."

Zane grunted and began to grasp the nooks and crannies in the cliff face. He pulled himself up along the vertical slope and grabbed for another handhold. He just hoped he wouldn't encounter any wild Pokemon like this.

"Gon!" A shrill cry rang through the air, making Zane look over to his left. A blue head with savage eyes was glaring at him from a cave.

"Mother of Arceus!" Zane shouted. "Really?"

"What?" Katarina called up to him. "What is it?"

"It's a Bagon!" He called down. "I think I'm gonna try to catch it! I think Sol could use the experience for battle."

Zane climbed along the edge of the cliff. He hugged it closely, knowing a fall from here would mean for sure a broken ankle or worse. As he neared the cave, he realized he would have to make sure that each step he took was sure, precise, and stable.

Finally Zane reached the cave. He climbed over the edge of the entrance and saw a pair of Bagon glaring at him. Apparently, the two were mates, so he would have to catch both, or leave them be. Zane had found the Male glaring at him.

"Gon!" The Male Bagon cried as he rocketed his head towards Zane.

"Shit!" Zane shouted, throwing a Pokéball at him. Bagon was absorbed into it, and the Pokéball returned to Zane's hand. He threw it back toward the other Bagon.

"Bagon!" A deeper voice roared as the Bagon broke out. There was another Bagon somewhere in the cave. At its call, the others ran back, deeper into the cave.

Katarina climbed over the edge of the cave, calling for Zane to help her up.

Zane grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet, and told her about the pair of Bagon. He proceeded to go on about the deeper voiced Bagon and how he assumed that there was another Bagon somewhere in the caves. Katarina looked frightened.

"Zane, it's dark and creepy in here, and there are probably tons of Zubat in here!" She pleaded with him. "Lets just go. Please?"

"I'll hold your hand," he replied, laughing. "But I'm NOT giving up a chance to get a Bagon. Salamence are really strong!"

"Okay..." She groaned. "But I think you will have to hold my hand... I'm scared."

"Nothing's gonna happen, Kat," Zane chuckled. "I promise." He punched her on the arm gently, teasing her, and walked into the cave with Katarina at his side.

* * *

**And there's installment 9! I hope you liked it, this is by far the most thought and work I've put into a chapter yet! Installment 10 is gonna be a real treat, so I hope that you really like it! I've decided I like Amber as Torchic's name, so next chapter she will be named Amber.**

**Thank you so much for reading this, guys. It means a ton, and I love the interaction this story brings with you guys. Keep up the good work! **

**-Count Blaziken III**


	10. Chapter 10

**Pokémon Quest Installment 10 is out!**

**I'm soooo sorry it took so long. Installment 11 will probably take a bit of time and I have a mission's trip.**

* * *

"Dang!" Zane muttered as he strained his eyes to see. "I can't see ANYTHING in this light!"

"Why don't you get Torchic to light up the room?" Katarina asked Zane. "She could use Ember to make a flashlight effect, or wecould grab some sticks and have her light those to make torches."

"Making torches isn't that simple, Kat," Zane sighed, pulling his old, torn shirt out of his bag. "The stick doesn't just burn. You need cloth."

"Well then rip that shredded shirt," Katarina said, growing tired of everything. "We don't have all day."

"I actually thought I'd put this old, scraggy, crappy little rag on, actually," Zane replied shoving his tongue out at his best friend. "I thought that might be fun."

*Smack!*

Zane stumbled backwards, falling to his knee. He lost his balance after that and fell to his side. After laying there for a minute, he jumped up and faced Katarina.

"Ow," was his only reply.

Zane tore the shirt into two ragged cloths and picked up two long, thin stones on the ground. He began to tie the shirts together with the stones. Soon he had two unlit stone torches.

"Let's go, Amber!" Zane called, throwing a Pokéball into the air. It opened, briefly lighting up the area with a red light.

"Torchic!" Amber chirped, looking at her master.

"Can you light these stone torches?" Zane asked her with a smile. "Please?"

Torchic opened her beak and shot out a small jet of flame. It looked like a microscopic Flamethrower, as opposed to as Ember attack. Zane would have to hone this skill.

But the fire type got the job done, and they walked in the cave with their torches lighting the way in fronting them.

Finally they reached a dead end. Except it wasn't a dead end; there was a small hole that a small Pokémon could get through. Zane knew that was where the pair of Bagon must have gone. After checking the depth of the wall and finding it to be about an inch, Zane came up with an idea.

"Sol, let's go," Zane said, tossing a Pokéball to the wall. Sol popped out of the ball, growling and expecting a battle. She was very confused when she stood up in a cave.

"Sol?" She asked.

"Can you use Slash on this wall, Sol?" Zane asked her. "I'll give you a nice treat in Fallabor Town."

Sol looked at him funny for a minute before violently twisting her neck. The scythe on her head had smacked against the wall hard, but to no avail. There was a small scratch in the rocky wall.

"Sol, what other moves do you know?"

Sol turned away and used a Razor Wind attack. She then did it flip and smashed her tail into the ground, breaking up some smaller rocks. It was like an Iron Tail of sorts-

"Sol, you can use Iron Tail!" Zane yelled, shocked completely. "Use it on the wall!"

"Sol!" Sol cried as she rammed her tail into the wall. It shattered, and the group went through.

There was a nice clearing, full of Dragon Types. (Axew, Dratini, Bagon, and Larvitar.) They were gathered around a pool with an island staring at the group. And they looked pissed off.

A Bagon in the center looked over at Zane, obviously the leader of the group. He seemed to be issuing a challenge to the intruders. He got up and ran at Sol with a look of sadistic violence.

"Sol, use Razor Wind to push him back!" Zane cried, noting the aggressive charge the Bagon just performed.

"Ab... Sol!" Sol grunted, slashing her scythe through the air. The wind blew her competitor far back, barely staying out of the water.

"What other moves do you know?" Zane asked his companion. "We need range in this battle. His Headbutt will be super strong."

Sol opened her mouth, forming a ball of blue energy in front of it. It shot off little jolts of some kind of element. It soared through the air and hit the Bagon, encasing it in a ball of ice.

Ice Beam.

"Alright! Lets catch him!" Zane shouted, lobbing a Pokéball at the leader of the dragon pack. It hit the icy mass and bounced back a few feet before bursting open and absorbing the Bagon.

It began to vibrate. (A common misconception is that the ball wiggles three times. It begins to vibrate and as time passes and the Pokémon grows weary, it slows until it stops moving.)

Finally the shaking of the ball stopped and it lay at rest. Zane had caught a Bagon.

"Draco, clear out the room!" Zane said, tossing the Pokéball up. His new Pokémon then used Skull Bash on every dragon type in the cove.

Then the water began to froth.

* * *

**-Count Blaziken III**


	11. Chapter 11

**Pokémon Quest 11**

* * *

Zane stepped away from the edge of the pool, slowly walking backwards to Katarina. The water looked like it was almost boiling, with bubbles that rose above the surface of the water. It appeared to glow, even. The water was a bright blue, with a tint of green.

A concentrated stream of bubbles shot up from the depths of the water. As each bubble popped a noise appeared, like a scrambled roar, trapped in the air bubbles.

"Katarina," Zane whispered to his companion. "This could be one of the last moment we spend together unless there's an afterlife."

"Zane," she breathed turning his body to her. "I just want you to know-"

The rest of her words were drowned out by the sound of water splashing out of the pool. A figure flew out of the water, resting at the zenith of its flight. A Lapras was using Psychic to hold itself up. It screamed a ferocious roar and trashed its head around.

Needless to say, it was pissed.

"A Lapras!" Zane shouted. "What a win! Alright, you're mine! Go, Sol and use Iron Tail!"

"Ab... Sol!" The Dark-Type cried as it leapt through the air, doing somersault after somersault with her metallic tail swinging over her head. It smashed over the Lapras' head, causing her to fall down unconscious.

"Lets see what had her in such a rage," Zane said as he walked over. It appeared as if there was something glinting in the Pokemon's eye, like a contact lens or something. Zane gently placed his hand on the side of her face and plucked the lens out. He then dropped a Pokeball on her unmoving body.

It didn't even wiggle.

"Alright Mizu, let's see if you feel better now," Zane chuckled, tossing the ball up again.

"Lap!" Mizu yipped happily. She appeared to be fine now. "Pras!"

"Woah!" Zane shouted as Mizu took hold of his shirt with her mouth. She tossed him onto her shell and dove underwater.

Zane knew from science journals that one could breathe if they dove underwater on the back of a Pokemon like a Lapras or Wailmer. So he didn't freak out when he was taken underwater. He only freaked out when she began to speak to him.

"Zane, there's a cave under here," she started. "In that cave, there are three men. One was trying to stop the other two from hurting me, but the dark-skinned one put something in my eye. That's when I came up from underwater. You have to beat them away."

"She can talk?" Zane thought, panicking.

"It's telepathy," Mizu sighed. "How can you know you can breathe but not that Lapras communicate telepathically? The one in blue & yellow and the dark-skinned boy are the ones that were hurting me," telepathically pointing inside of the cave. As they neared the it, Zane recognized the dark-skinned boy.

It was Dallas.

* * *

**-Count Blaziken III**


	12. Chapter 12

**Pokémon Quest installment 12 is out!**

**Not much to say on this one.**

* * *

"Hyah!" Zane thought, kicking Mizu with his heels. This reaction triggered an ancient response from Mizu. She rocketed forward into the cave and burst out of the water.

"Dallas!" Zane shouted. "Meet your match!"

"Oh, it's that kid," Dallas said, turning to the one in Yellow and Blue. "He's of no concern to us, Ryu."

"Listen, kid," the man with the green shirt said, talking to Zane. "We have to team up to fight these two. They're pretty strong. I know Ryu is, since I've known him for years."

"A double battle you mean?" Zane asked him.

"Yes," he said, holding out a hand. "Riley is the name. Pokémon Ranger Riley Trap!"

"Zane O'Harris," Zane said holding out his right hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Go, Mudkip," Dallas sighed with total nonchalance. He threw up his Pokéball. "Get ready to take out his Torchic."

"Lets go, Shinx!" Ryu called, tossing out a Pokémon.

"Trapinch, come on out!" Riley declared, dropping his Pokéball to the ground.

"Mizu, you want to take this one?" Zane asked. "That would be fine."

"Sure," Mizu thought to him.

"Well then go Mizu! What attacks do you know?" He thought.

"Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Body Slam, and Surf," Mizu thought.

"Use Ice Beam on Mudkip!" Zane shouted.

"Use Dig on Shinx, Trapinch!"

"Thundershock on Lapras!"

"Water Gun on Lapras."

Trapinch buried himself into the ground, going under Shinx who zapped off Electricity at Mizu who was crossing beams with Mudkip. (And that's what you missed on Glee) The water from Mudkip's Water Gun began freezing in midair, and eventually Mudkip couldn't Water Gun any more. Mizu's attack hit Mudkip head on, knocking him out.

Shinx shocked Mizu, causing her to cry out in pain. The electricity coursed through her body. All was looking bleak.

"Pinch!" Trapinch shouted as he dove up through the cave floors and knocked Shinx out.

"Give back the Pokéball too!" Riley shouted.

"It's an Ultra Ball actually," Dallas sneered, hopping onto a Swellow Ryu released. He pulled Ryu on top as well. "Sayonara, suckers!"

With that the two flew off.

* * *

**-Count Blaziken III**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Just a quick update from xMikalax! Count Blaziken III (the author of this wonderful story) has made a Facebook page for Pokemon Quest. He will be updating there, and I will be copying and pasting from that page from now on. Here's the link:**

www . facebook pages / Saga-of-Zane-Conquering-Hoenn / 159513130902723

**Thanks guys! ~Mikala**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

The cave grew home to a low rumbling sound. Something was happening inside of Mt. Pyre. And Zane, Katarina, and Riley were trapped inside of the cave system.

"How do we get out?" Zane asked Katarina. Then he turned to Riley. "Do you know how?"

"A moment," Riley replied before reaching into a sheath on his belt. He pulled out a white object that Zane had never seen before.

"Professor Rust?" Riley asked into the funny looking thing. "I'm gonna need a map to get to the peak of Mt. Pyre."

"Sending a map to your PokéNav. Please hold," a voice said over the object. "Your destination should be routing now."

"Thanks, Rusty," Riley sighed. "Alright, Zane. You an your girlfriend follow me. We have to run!" He started to run to a ledge.

"She isn't my girlfriend," Zane replied, heading after him. "We're only childhood friends!"

"Whatever!" Riley grunted as he vaulted onto the top of the ledge with his arms. "I'd just run."

"Alright!" Zane grunted throwing himself over the ledge. He reached down to help Katarina.

"Thanks Zane," Katarina said with a smile.

"No problem, Kat!" He said, lifting her up. "Now lets go!"

Zane caught up with Riley rather quickly and started asking questions.

"Who is Professor Rust? What is that object you're talking into? What does it do? Who was that Ryu guy? What-"

"Professor Rust is my mentor in the art of being a Pokémon Ranger. He gave me this thing, which is a Pokémon Styler. It lets me befriend wild Pokémon and halfway catch them. Ryu stole a Pokémon Styler and modified it so that it turns Pokémon Permanently Evil until it's caught. I've been chasing him ever since, and I've found out that he puts a video lens in every turned Pokémon's eye. This lets Ryu's organization keep tabs on them," Riley explained.

The three ran in silence while Zane and Katarina soaked up all of the information given to them.

"This is gonna be a long journey," Zane sighed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Zane and the crew finally made it up to the top of Mt. Pyre. They could tell that some form of an eruption was about to take place. And they knew they needed to get out.

"Riley, do you have a flying Pokémon that we could all fit on?" Zane asked his new friend. "We need one I think."

"No..." Riley said, sadly. "I only have Trapinch who will be able to. But if we can find a Salamence..." He began to search the cave.

"Make Draco call for a Salamence," Katarina told Zane. "They would respond to one of their children, wouldn't they?"

"Good idea," Zane thought, wielding Draco's Pokéball. "Call for some help, Draco!"

"Gon! Bagon!" Draco cried. "Bay!"

"Mence!" A creature roared. The thunderous noise came from above, slightly over the lip of the volcano's mouth. A blue monster flew over the edge and plummeted down towards Draco.

It was Draco's mother.

"Capture Stylus!" Riley shouted, whipping the antenna out to use the Ranger's main tool. He swung his arm and stopped it directly once it pointed at the Salamence.

A bright blue almost white light shot out of the antenna, rocketing towards Salamence. Riley gritted his teeth, a thousandth things running through his head at once. Any slight miscalculations and the Salamence would not get befriended. The styler had to loop almost perfectly around Salamence's waist. Riley whipped it again, swirling the styler around with his wrist, flicking 6 full loops in the styler.

This whole process took .37 seconds.

The styler curled itself around Salamence's waist, and the light entered her body. The Dragon Type's eyes brightened and slowed her descent. She landed lightly on the ground, and politely growled.

"I can fly her," Zane offered, noticing Riley's uneasiness. "My mom's let me fly her Charizard before, and they're both in the Dragon Egg Group. They should fly similarly."

"Alright, sure," Riley sighed. "I mean if you want. You don't have to though."

"Thank you!" Riley mouthed.

"Lets go," Zane laughed, hopping onto Salamence's back. He pulled Katarina up and she sat down behind him. Very closely.

"What's that Pokémon over there?" Zane asked after they flew up and over the lip of the mountain. It looked like a 4 legged lava monster. Then he veered near it, saying "lets check it out!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Pokémon Quest 15**

"Heatran!" The fiery Pokémon shrieked as it shot off a powerful Flamethrower attack. It soared through the air, screaming towards Zane.

"Hold on guys!" Zane shouted. "This isn't gonna be a nice flight! Hyah!"

"Mence!" The Salamence roared as Zane kicked his heels into the Dragon Type. In response, she sped up to a much greater speed, passing where the Flamethrower was aimed easily.

"That wasn't too bad," Katarina sighed.

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings," Zane remarked, gripping onto Salamence's horns. He slightly tweaked them to one direction and pushed the horns. This caused them to do a turn upside down while still completing a half flip. The result of this was Salamence getting lower, gaining speed and turning around.

Heatran ran fired off another Flamethrower attack. It sizzled as it flew and set the air around it on fire for about ten feet in any direction. Zane could feel the heat from 100 feet away.

"Barrel Roll out of the way!" Zane cried, pushing and pulling on Salamence's horns. "Go right and head into a dive!"

"Salamence!" The blue Pokémon screeched. She rolled right until she avoided the attack and got down very low.

"Zane, don't even think about it!" Katarina yelled. "There's no way in hell I'll be on the back of a Pokémon in battle!"

"Here, Zane it's an ID Lens!" Riley yelled giving a monocle-like lens. It could be hooked over the ear, which Zane did. "It's activated by thought!"

"Power on!" Zane shouted.

All of a sudden Salamence's stats appeared: Attacks, Name, even an Age! Zane scrolled down the list of attacks (by saying scroll down) until he found the stack he was looking for. He waited until Salamence was 50 feet in front of Heatran.

"Alright, Sally, use Dragonrage on Heatran NOW!"

Salamence opened her mouth, forming a ball of fierce energy that got larger and larger. With each molecule of air it burnt, it's power grew. Every foot in diameter it grew, its power was raised exponentially.

"MENCE!" Salamence roared, letting out her ultimate attack. It grew even as it seared through the final ten feet of air. Heatran was frozen like a deer in headlights.

The mass of pure destruction enveloped Heatran's barely visible form. The attack imploded and exploded repeatedly, from so much leftover energy being stuck in its own little gravity field that it created.

"Salamence!" Zane screamed over the sound of extreme force to his mount. "Use the gravity field to rocket yourself towards Fallabor!"

Salamence roared, screaming around the edges of the gravity field. She was past the point of no return for many other Pokémon, and even some commercial grade vehicles. But she couldn't let herself die. She had to protect her son one last time.

Her muscles ached, her lungs were collapsing. She was in a state of disrepair from the massive Dragonrage attack. She could feel muscles in her wings tearing.

"MENCE!"

It was a cry of agony and terrible desperation that left her mouth. She would protect her son even over her own life. Her eyes were open wide. Her cry went from Agony to purely raging Determination.

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!"

As she plummeted downward after circling so many times, she felt her eyes being forced closed. She was dying and she knew it. Still she aimed her dying body farther away.

They had escaped the gravity field she had created, but they still had to land. Salamence's voice gave out, alerting her that she had no energy left to speak. Still she aimed her head to a distant lake near Fallabor Town.

She didn't live to hit the water.

Her body crashed in the water, creating a giant wave that went all the to the shore. It stood above the surface for 6 brief seconds before sinking under.

Zane, Katarina, and Riley had jumped long before she hit the water. They were swimming to the shore when Salamence fell to the lake. Once they reached it, they payed their respects to the Pokémon that saved them with her last breath. They sat there late into the night, solemnly paying a tribute to Salamence.


	16. Chapter 16

**Pokémon Quest 16**

The sun eventually rose signaling the end of the night. Zane and Riley were reluctant to leave the lake, but after talking to Katarina, knew there was nothing they could do. Salamence was dead and that couldn't be changed.

"I'm gonna name it Leaf," Katarina said to herself. "Or maybe I'll name it Twig... What do you think, Zane?"

"Leaf is good. So is Twig. Just like I've told you a thousand times."

"Zane there's no reason to be so down," Katarina huffed. "Yes, Draco's mother died. But she would've died sooner or later. Heatran could've just waljed in and taken them by surprise!"

"Think about the fact that Heatran is a legendary Pokémon!" She continued. "And that you beat it in your 3rd real battle! I don't even think your mom has ever beat a Legendary!"

"She caught Moltres," Zane groaned. "She went out with Volkner and Crystal so that all three of them could capture them. That way the harmony wouldn't be destroyed."

"I was with her on that mission," Riley thought aloud. "Your mom is Flannery?"

"Yeah,"

"She trained for years to catch Moltres," Riley told him. "Volkner had to help her too! In the end, if Volkner hadn't have given her extra Pokéballs, she wouldn't have caught Moltres."

"But she didn't overpower a Pokémon that wasn't even hers!" Zane shouted. "Salamence was Draco's mother! It's bad enough that I took her son from her, but then I killed her too!"

"Hey!" Riley screamed at the new trainer. "There was nothing you could do! This was just like your mother's reaction with my-" Riley fell silent.

"With your what?" Zane asked the Ranger, steadily raising his voice to a yell. "She didn't kill one of YOUR Pokémon, did she?"

"Yes!" Riley yelled back at him. "And then she acted like this, all mopey because Blastoise 'Had his whole life ahead of him,' and she 'Could've avoided it!' But it was inevitable! If she hadn't pushed Blastoise to the very limit, we all would've died and the world would have to pay!"

"The world won't have to worry about a loose Heatran," Katarina whispered in his ear, disturbed by Zane's wrath. "And it's all because of you. You saved us from a Heatran."

"Whatever," he said walking away.

"Zane O'Harris," Katarina whispered sharply to her friend of many years. She snagged his hand and yanked him towards her.

"Woah!" Zane shouted as he tripped. He lost his balance and fell on top of Katarina.

"Oof!" Katarina grunted as they hit the ground. She opened her eyes and Zane's face was merely inches from hers; any closer and she would be kissing him.

Time froze for a few seconds. All of the passing seconds slipped away for a moment. Finally Zane broke the silence.

"Um... Hi."

"There was nothing you could have done," Katarina said, getting up slowly. "If you hadn't fought Heatran, we would have all gone down in flames. I would have died if you hadn't pushed Salamence to her very limits. And also-"

"MENCE!"

Everyone turned around to look where the sound came from. Salamence was bursting out of the water, flying upwards to the clouds. She roared with a scream that tore the clouds apart and created a massive cloudburst. She was alive and fighting fit.

"Salamence!" She screeched, swooping down to the trio.

"Katarina, get behind me," Zane murmured, pushing her behind his body. He gently held her arm for a second after he stopped moving her. Then he quickly readied a Pokéball.

"Wait." Riley grabbed Zane by the chest and pulled out his Styler. He aimed at Salamence. A green bar popped up from the tip after about ten seconds of holding it there. "She's safe."

Salamence touched down and nuzzled Zane's face. She then liked Riley's hat and left the group. She had to thank them for saving her.

And just like that she was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

With the knowledge that Salamence was alive and well, the rest of the journey to Fallabor Town was joyous. Zane, Katarina, and Riley waltzed North to the city laughing and joking amongst themselves.

"Hey, Zane," Katarina said nudging him. "You're gonna do the Gym challenge, right?"

"I don't know," Zane thought. "I just said I would get Lanette's stuff back. I wasn't planning on it."

"You should do it!" Riley chimed in. "It would be a good way to train up for a match with Dallas!"

"But I don't know if I'd win," Zane said. "I don't think I could beat Drake."

"Katarina," Riley asked. "Remind me again what Zane just did?"

"I believe he just demolished a Heatran!" She said with glee.

"That's right!" He said, snapping his fingers.

"Drake was the Champion of Kanto not two years ago!" Zane groaned, rolling his eyes.

"And you just defeated Heatran in your 5th battle!" Katarina moaned in exasperation. "You'll get pretty far! Nobody's saying you have to win them all."

"Fine, I'll try. But I don't want my mom to have to battle me."

"You can get an assistant to battle you if the Gym Leader agrees," Riley interjected. "You could do that."

"Fine, I'll do that," Zane sighed. "But it looks like we're almost at Lanette's Lab."

Sure enough, the lab was just in view. Zane and his friends slipped through the tree separating the path and Lanette's house. They had arrived.

"Lanette!" Katarina called. "I'm here for my Treecko!"

Lanette walked out and handed Katarina a Pokéball. She then left saying simply, "Enjoy your Treecko."

"Hm... That's weird," Zane thought to himself. "I thought it was supposed to be a bit more formal. Maybe not though."

"Alright, Leaf!" Katarina shrilled, throwing a Pokéball.


End file.
